Christopher Schwarz is the editor of Popular Woodworking magazine, and as such seems to get a lot more questions about workbenches than the average civilian. Consequently, over the past few years he has been building a wide range of benches, using historical examples in a search to see what features in the benches work and don�t work. The concept behind the book seems to be a survey of what benches looked like in a historical fashion; an analysis of major design features; and last, a how-to of various woodworking tasks using a bench. This is important because the best features in a workbench�s design will depend on the work you�ll be doing at the bench. Every bench involves a compromise of one sort or another, and understanding tradeoffs in materials and construction complexity will enable you to build a bench that will not only work well, but also serve as a project you can successfully scope to your current ability. The book includes a rare and invaluable discussion of workbench accessories - holdfasts, bench stops, dogs, etc. - the stuff that can generally is ignored but can make a bench work in an optimal way.

This deluxe edition of the book is available only through a handful of independent woodworking specialty stores and includes a CD with a bunch of great stuff that enhances the book. For example, the book includes plans for 2 styles of workbench, French and English. The CD has plans, step photos and text to build a third historic workbench, the 19th-century Holtzapffel Workbench, designed specifically for furniture-makers, and a slideshow of the construction of two of the workbenches. The CD also has complete text and drawings to the book in pdf format so you can print out construction drawings of the plans to take to the workshop or search the entire book by keyword; interactive 3-D models that allow you to examine, disassemble and manipulate the three featured workbenches, so you can examine its parts from all angles, look inside at the joinery and even disassemble the entire project on your computer screen. Truly an impressive work and a must-have for anyone thinking of making a workbench.